This book offers a practical introduction to the tribology of low-friction coatings, aimed at students, PhD candidates, and early-career researchers. Drawing on over 20 years of experience, the author presents a concise guide to the synthesis, testing, characterization, and optimization of carbon-based coatings for medical and technical applications. Topics include the fundamentals of friction and wear mechanisms, solid lubricant coatings, diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings and their doping, methods for tribological testing and surface analysis, as well as tribocorrosion and coating-environment interactions. The book highlights best practices, common pitfalls, and insights from both recent literature and the author's own research, providing a compact and accessible resource for those entering the field.

Autorentext

Dr. Damian Batory received a Ph.D. in Technical Sciences in 2008 from Lodz University of Technology (TUL). His doctoral dissertation focused on the synthesis of gradient carbon coatings using a hybrid RF PACVD/MS (Radio Frequency Plasma-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition / Magnetron Sputtering) technique.

Following his Ph.D., Dr. Damian Batory was appointed Assistant Professor at the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering at TUL, Department of Biomedical Engineering. He participated in the international project "Nanostructured Carbon Materials Produced Using CVD Methods", including a three-month research stay at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA). His research during this period centered on nanocomposite carbon-titanium coatings and the surface modification of materials used in the woodworking, automotive, and remanufacturing industries, as well as metallic and polymeric biomaterials.